Multiplicity distributions in a multiperipheral fireball model

Abstract

Abstract Multiplicity distributions are studied in the thermodynamic model. The approximate Koba, Nielsen, Olesen scaling behaviour of the data and Wroblewski's linear law can be understood in the thermodynamic model with multiperipheral production of fireballs. This production mechanism is also essential to understand two-particle rapidity correlations especially in the ISR energy range. There are contributions from diffractive and non-diffractive production of fireballs in the model, which agrees in this sense with the two-component models used recently to discuss multiplicity distributions. In contrast to other models, however, the non-diffractive component taken separately exhibits approximate KNO-scaling and accounts rather well for the behaviour of the data up to 300 GeV. For the fireball production mechanism choosen the cross section of the diffractive component is expected to be smaller than in other models and can lead to a two-maxima multiplicity distribution only at energies higher than predicted in other models.